THE TANNAHILL WEAVERS
Solstice
Just as Fairport Convention took English Folk and put a new twist on it, paving the way for many to follow, then the same could be said of the Tannahill Weavers, taking traditional Scottish music and bending it to their own creative will, with the likes of Skippinish, Skerryvore and a host of others now reaping the benefits of their 50+ years of globetrotting and trailblazing. It is a delight therefore to see that there is life and ideas in the somewhat older dogs, as they put their own inventive stamp on familiar tunes. Rather than their pedigree of taking their native sounds and adding their certain something, Solstice, takes memorable music of the winter season and drags it North of Hadrian’s Wall, giving it a Celtic makeover that adds new imagination to the instantly recognisable.
The instrumental prowess is a given, but, two songs from Gaelic singer Annia McGillivray apart, the music is the dominant force, a new approach from a band past the 50 year mark and counting. Such is the familiarity of the source material, that listeners cannot help but add their own inner voice to the fresh arrangements and unusual instrumentation.
The band themselves express this as “Our inspiration for making this album was the urge to explore and create connections between well-known centuries old seasonal melodies and our own Scottish traditional music. While many of the compositions we encountered had changed throughout the years, the feel to most of them has kept a folky/trad approach.”
This is achieved through creating and adding additional elements to many of the tunes, some belonging to folk memory and others, more recent additions to the soundtrack of the season. Timings are changed to suit the instrumental make-up of the band, with the speed of some of the sets ensuring that the Merry Gentlemen need a rest, God given or otherwise! It is inconceivable that either traditional carols, or the more modern standards were not written with bagpipes and bodhrans in mind, nor were they expected to be performed as reels, jigs, marches or waltzes, and while they weave their way Ding Dong Joyful in Excelsis through a Winter Wonderland, if it works, and they do, why the hell not!. Elsewhere there are nods to their own nativity, through the inclusion of The Skye Boat Song and Auld Lang Syne
As we hunker down in whatever warmth we can afford these coming cold months, hopefully with a dram or two and the finest of company, when you choose the seasonal soundtrack, opt for something with a twist – and rather than stick to the obvious, the Tannahills have pulled an ace from their sleeves.
For those who like to know these things, the current line-up is Roy Gullane banjo, Phil Smillie flute, whistles, bodhrán, percussion, vocals, Iain MacGillivray highland bagpipes, fiddle, whistles, vocals and Malcolm Bushby fiddle, bouzouki.
They are aided and abetted by Aaron Jones guitar, cittern, bass, Annia MacGillivray vocals and Richard Werner percussion.
It would also be rude not to acknowledge that they have also been supported by Creative Scotland.
Visit The Tannahill Weavers website
